New Iron Man 3 Images Reveal Wang Xuequi As Tony Stark's Surgeon

The last time Tony Stark desperately needed a doctor was due to chunks of shrapnel making its way towards his heart, and he also happened to be in a cave and was forced to construct an iron suit with an electromagnetic core to permit himself to live for a few more years. For the next time out, though, it looks like Stark is going to get an actual doctor to come to his aid when he’s down and out.

As we reported previously, Wang Xuequi has been cast as Dr. Wu in Shane Black’s Iron Man 3. But today Empire helped put a few puzzle pieces together as the sequel continues filming in Beijing, showing two images of Xuequi with Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle. In the second image, you can see that characters Pepper Potts and James Rhodes look concerned as Xuequi’s doctor tells them …something.

The site clarifies that Dr. Wu is “an original character” written specifically for this sequel, so there’s no weight to that rumor that circulated briefly that it might be a reference to the Marvel character Radioactive Man. Good. The universe is growing far too big, with planned movies for Ant-Man, sequels to Captain America and Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy and – of course – The Avengers 2.

Speaking of, the last time we saw Tony Stark, he was dying in outer space, plunging back to Earth, getting caught by a Hulk, and helping save Manhattan. Imagine what pain and devastation Stark is going to have to endure in Iron Man 3 if he’s going to need the help of a surgeon. We’re gearing up for the next Iron Man movie, which opens in theaters on May 3, 2013.